An eagle swooped1 down upon a serpent and seized it in his talonswith the intention of carrying it off and devouring2 it. But theserpent was too quick for him and had its coils round him in a moment;and then there ensued a life-and-death struggle between the two. Acountryman, who was a witness of the encounter, came to the assistanceof the eagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the serpent andenabling him to escape. In revenge, the serpent spat3 some of hispoison into the man's drinking-horn. Heated with his exertions4, theman was about to slake5 his thirst with a draught6 from the horn, whenthe eagle knocked it out of his hand, and spilled its contents uponthe ground. 
One good turn deserves another. 